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The idea of a yo-yo was written about approximately in 500 B.C., being made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta disks. The Greeks believed that it was customary for a child to offer toys of their youth to certain gods when they are a certain age. Because of the fragile nature of terra cotta, it is presumed that the disks made of clay were used for this offering instead of actual play. A vase painting from this time period showed a Greek youth playing with a yo-yo.
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The yo-yo is known to be the second oldest toy ever and is patented by James L. Haven and Charles Hettrich.
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In the modern yo-yo, brought to the United States from the Philippines the string is only looped around the axle. In both designs, the string wounds tightly around the axle. The yo-yo is held up in the air, giving it the potential to fall to the ground and has string wound around it, letting it spin as it unwinds. When the yo-yo is released, both forms of potential energy change to kinetic energy. The yo-yo falls straight to the ground, which builds an amount of momentum in a straight line.
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The first manufacturing company in America was created, and on the same day, produced its first dozen wooden yo-yo's.
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The design of two disks with a connecting axle and a string tied securely to the axle instead of looping around it achieved huge popularity in Europe and had names like bandelore, quiz, and L’emigrette.
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The first ball bearings used on yo-yo’s was created by Swedish company SKF allowing for tricks to last longer.
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Yo-yo companies sent out teams of traveling yo-yo men and women to help promote yo-yo sales and the new plastic yo-yo’s that lasted longer and were lighter than the wooden ones.
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The Flambeau Plastic Company bought the name Duncan and all the company's trademarks. They began producing their line of all plastic yo-yo’s soon after and the yoyo continues today with its latest honor, being the first toy in outer space.
